a snippet of my new noco fic voicemails to a ghost inspired by @eavee-ry 's au :)
Itās been months since the door at the end of the hall was last opened.Ā
There was a small table blocking the entrance. It didnāt hold much- only a singular photo sealed in a teal frame with dying flower petals circling the faded wood around it. There was a flickering tea light illuminating the haunted door behind it in a golden hue, creating ghostly shadows around the doorknob as the wax slowly withered away. Small tokens were scattered around the four corners of the table in the hope that one day, their owner would return to collect what was his.
On the other side of the door, though, sat a cold and vacant bedroom with crisp sheets pulled tightly around the corners of the made bed. The blankets were so smooth and his indent in the mattress began to fluff back up in his absence. Somewhere in the room, a clock ticked quietly. His desk was neat and organized. His books were still lined up by color on his shelf, yet, a thin layer of dust began to dull them. The curtains were drawn and the shades had long been tugged down. Everything was exactly how he left it- an artifact frozen in time.
But occasionally, life would be breathed back into it. A phone that would forever be plugged in would light up and bring the only light the place had left to see, casting a bright blue beam onto the blackened, dead shadows on the walls. It would buzz and buzz until the screen went dark, letting the shadows take over again.Ā
āYouāve reached Noah, leave a messageā¦or donāt, I donāt care.āĀ
Cody sighs. āHe-hey man, um, Iām just getting ready to go on a drive and I figured thatā¦I could use the company, butā¦ā He shrugs on a raincoat over his hoodie, his words fading quickly and he clears his throat.
He steps out into the early morning and his ragged breathing comes out in whisps as he fishes for his keys deep in his pocket, sandwiching his phone between his cheek and shoulder. āYou know, I, uh, never really got my brake lights fixed, so Iām hoping I donāt get pulled over or something because that would really, really suckā¦I didnāt even know that not having functioning brake lights was a ticketable offense until you told me.ā Cody slides into the driverās seat and pauses for a moment, staring back into the glassy, exhausted eyes looking at him.Ā
āIām sorry to call you so late, Noah. You really hated how I used to toss and turn all night at-ā His voice catches, ā-at camp and, uh, for a second Iā¦IĀ wasĀ sleeping. But, I havenāt been able to for a while now and I just really needed to do something, so here I am. Driving.āĀ
He pauses again, swallowing against his clamped throat as he jams his key into the ignition. The car engine shudders beneath him and the dull glow of the headlights offers some visibility as he twists around, pulling out of his driveway.Ā
āDo you remember that first day at the camp? When everyone got off the boat and we were meeting each other?ā Cody starts.Ā
The lake water was the bluest Cody had ever seen it. It was the beginning of summer and he could practically smell the money through the stench of the dusty cabins and pine trees. He was young and dumb and excited, gripping the railing of the speedboat to lean forward over the water with a grin so wide, he could see it in the reflection as they sped to the island.Ā
There were already people on the dock and the first person he noticed was that black-haired girl. She had deep teal lips and porcelain skin with eyes that seemed to cut into him as he hopped off the boat. He noted how she seemed to watch him as he greeted Chris. He knew that his chest seemed to pound as he approached the girls, knowing to flash an easy smile, but making sure to eye only her as he did.Ā
She was pretty. Not intimidatingly gorgeous like the girl in the red tube top or hot like the blonde-haired girl. She was shy and pretty and had a raspy voice that made his spine shudder, but thatās exactly what Cody liked.Ā
Then, as he walked over to the boys, he saw Noah. And Noah was beautiful.Ā
